The Not So Fun
28 May 2009I figured I might as well get my complaining out in a post since this is supposed to be an archive of my pregnancy experiences. Here they come, in no particular order:
Bathroom: I’m supposed to be drinking 100+ ounces of water a day, which I’m pretty good at. However, that leads to about 20 trips a day to the bathroom. During the day it’s not so bad, but at night I get up about every 90 minutes. You can almost set your clock by it. The worst are the days when I nap too much and then try to catch up with water at night. Then I average every 60 minutes. By the time you realize it is time to go, and then actually get out of bed the sudden downward pressure on the bladder can be excruciating.
Food: The amount of food I’m supposed to eat for twins is very disproportionate to the amount of room in my increasingly smashed stomach cavity. Add to that the amount of water I’m supposed to consume, and it’s virtually impossible. I get full quickly, and heartburn soon follows. As a result I eat whenever I’m hungry, but hard to say if I’m eating enough. But the twins are growing ahead of schedule, so I must be doing something right… or we’re both tall and destined to have big babies no matter what.
Eating: Similar to food, but this is the actual act of eating. I try to have breakfast with Drew every morning at the table, but that’s the only meal I eat at the table. I can’t pull myself up to it, so I find myself leaning forward too much for comfort so my mouth can reach my food. I eat most of my meals propped up in bed – which actually isn’t that comfortable – or laying down in bed, which is awkward. Sitting on the couch isn’t too bad.
Sleeping: Did I mention I wake up every hour or so? Well that’s only part of it. I have to sleep on my side because my back is too uncomfortable and it’s very much discouraged while pregnant. The growing pregnancy puts increasing pressure on nerves so that after an hour or so the hip I’m laying on can become very painful. This requires me to flip over to my other side – which is no easy task when your belly is the size of a pumpkin. I mostly try to combine the two activities – if I have to turn over I might as well get up and use the bathroom and save myself some trouble.
Movement: Arched back, clumsy, painful at times. That about sums it up. Oh, and Drew frequently helps me get up when he’s home. Once I sit up, I usually need to take a beat to catch my breath before actually standing up.
Stretching: Those babies have to fit somewhere, and their growth causes ’round ligament pain’. This is brief (about a minute) periods of severe pain after a sudden movement. It can be triggered by getting up, turning over, sneezing, coughing, etc. The round ligaments surround the uterus and stretch like any other muscle. Fortunately I don’t have it too often, but it always comes on suddenly. Yesterday I had to tell myself to breathe while waiting for it to subside.
Lack of energy: This is probably actually a good thing since I’m on bed rest anyway, but it can be a little much at times. If I get up to do a simple activity or run a quick errand I get really worn out. Trips to the DR, which keep me out for a few hours really take a lot out of me. Heck, climbing the stairs can take a lot out of me. Sometimes I get to the top panting like I just ran around the block.
So, end of complaining… it had to be said. Pregnancy is not a bed of roses, and it’s important to document it all. Obviously it’s all worth it, and when it’s over I’ll probably be wishing for it again.